The Joy of Framing

An art show in the making.

I helped hang my show at Silver Circle Gallery today. I'm tired but feeling good. Another artist wandered in as we were working out the arrangement, offering appreciative and thoughtful feedback. He kept referring to my work as "delicious." That's a new one for me, and a nice one.

But especially, I like seeing the work transformed. A piece in progress amidst the clutter of my studio comes alive when given a frame, and breathing room on a wall. Suddenly it has a voice, and, if it's good, something to say, and I am reminded that I'm making something that has meaning.

I'm also reminded that sharing my work with the world is the best way to get inspired to make more.

More images, and inside scoopery, on my other blog.

Ann Herbert and Other Wonders

I've got a show going up at Windham Hospital (Windham, CT) for the month of February. And a half-hour interview on a local TV program (Artists and Authors) which has broadcast once or twice already and I haven't seen it yet myself. Yikes! I've also got a sudden obsession with making digital geometric compositions, such as the one I posted above.

Also, I recently discovered Ann Herbert. You know that bumper sticker, "practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty"? That's Ann Herbert. She's got a blog chock full of inspiring and thought-provoking one-liners. And I found some longer work on this site. Here's a snippet from "The Idea":

The idea is you have some great ideas.

The idea is sometimes you don't notice your great ideas because they are very different than what already exists.

That difference, which makes you shy off your ideas, is part of what makes your ideas great, and needed...

... A guy I used to work for, Stewart Brand, said that once you have an idea you have about five minutes to do something about it. You don't have to do everything the idea calls for within five minutes, but you've got to do something right away to make it real.

That's a good idea, too.

Practicalities for Practicing Artists

Ruby-Throated
Gouache, watercolor and ink on heavyweight bristol paper, 12 x 9"

A few resources to pass along:

Sales Tips for Artists: podcast with accompanying PDF study guides, on selling artwork to the interior design market, contracting with galleries, pricing your work, and more. Dick Harrison is like a friendly, patient uncle, selfless and extremely informative. This is easy listening, folks.

Art Print Issues: blog focusing on the art print market by Barney Davey, who also wrote a book on the subject.

Mine Stephanie Levy's blog, Artists Who Blog for a lay-of-the-land on artists promoting themselves (and inspiring and informing others) on the web.

Worry is Creative

.dotstring, collage on bristol paper, 9 x 12", on view at WindhamARTS until April 23rd

I'm going to be on the radio this coming Tuesday, April 14th, on the award-winning Wayne Norman Show on WILI 1400AM, beginning at 7:15 in the morning, until 8:30 or 9. (If you miss it, or if you're not in the area, the audio will be posted later in the day here.)

I am nervous. I didn't pursue this at all. It's overwhelming to note that the splash made by my art show opening last Friday was strong enough to bring about such an opportunity.



Opportunity, according to Miriam Webster, is:
1: a favorable juncture of circumstances
2: a good chance for advancement or progress

The surface opportunity is clear: perhaps an appearance on a popular local radio show will bring a few more fans of my art, maybe a potential design client or two.

But the core opportunity lies smack-dab inside my worry. In the fact that I will be called upon to talk about myself and my work.

This is what scares me. Right now, my thoughts are like furniture fresh off the moving truck, crowded into the center of a room. I know all the pieces, but I haven't arranged them in any coherent order.

I suppose I could spin an elaborate image of myself bumbling and stumbling, trying too hard, flailing, choking. Or I could just feel the fear (yikes!) and apply my creative energy to preparation. Which is exactly what I plan to do.

What a gift a deadline is! Come Tuesday morning, I'll be able to articulate who I am, what I do, what moves me to do the work that I do. I'll know myself better. And knowing myself better is the key to BEING myself better.

So yes, I'm nervous. But I'm also looking forward to it.

A Closer Look

I returned to the gallery on Tuesday to view my own show for the first time, on my own, without rush or worry about the opening. It's over. It was a success. Phew.

What a difference it makes to see one's own work carefully framed and on display, to take in the sheer quantity of work, to feel affirmed by all the red dots on the labels indicating which pieces have sold, to recall how crowded these rooms were just days before, all the compliments I tried so awkwardly to absorb with grace.

It occured to me part way though the evening that when someone gushes, "Thank you" need not be the extent of my response - I can follow with questions, engaging the viewer about what moves them, where the work takes them. What a gift it was to hear their answers.

Suddenly I get it that I'm an artist, that I have been all along. That these works, and my private visual vocabulary, does indeed speak to others, whether art-educated or — even better — not.

Even the labels I made to accompany each piece, a conceptual design project in its own right, were well received. In fact, one friend and colleague suggested I look into showing the labels all on their own. An exciting idea which I plan to pursue.

Today I put in an application for another show in another gallery, another town. I get it now, finally, that this is just the beginning, that these applications will become part of my routine, that I will continue to develop as an artist and a professional, and that the road ahead promises exciting terrain.

As always, dear readers, I will bring you along for the ride.

The Opening

My art show at WindhamARTS opened Friday, and all went well. I received too many compliments to count, the best of which was passed on to me by my sister-in-law, from my five-year-old niece:

Aunt Amy is such a good drawer, it looks like nobody drawed it.

But a half-hour earlier, it was another story entirely.

Between locking my keys (and other necessities) in the car a half-block away and last-minute copier jamming issues with the brochure/price list, I found myself sprinting up and down the stairs to the gallery office to troubleshoot print settings, in and out to the car (in the rain, no less) to settle up with AAA and gather needed items, and making a mad scramble to get all the food and drink set out in time, while delegating tasks to the helpful beloveds standing by as I flew past. All of this during the countdown minutes I had hoped to spend taking deep breaths, rechecking my appearance, and trying not to get too anxious that no one would come. Oh, woe, my biggest fear, made worse by the rainy evening: maybe no one would come.

But there was no time for any of that. When guests started streaming in, my biggest fear was assuaged, and I clicked, to my surprise, into calm, social, attentive, at-the-ready.

And boy did they start streaming in. There was a crowd! There was a band! People had fun! They bought art!



People!


More people!


The Electric Trains rock the house.

I couldn't have been happier to see so many new and familiar faces, and to receive such a glowing response to the work.

Thanks to everyone who took photographs of the event. (If you're on Facebook, you can view the entire album here.) I plan to return to the gallery today to take more pictures of the exhibit, unobstructed.

Stay tuned!

3, 2, 1...

I'm down to the details now, sending out last-minute invites and reminder emails, making labels and signage.

Spent yesterday at the gallery figuring out how everything will be arranged, with incredible help from a good friend. Note to self: help is good. I could have done it alone, but it would have been infinitely more stressful. Plus, us work-alone types need all the excuses we can find to hang out with our friends!

Got in a good long swim last night, finished a design job this morning, and now the decks are cleared to focus exclusively on the show for the rest of the week. I'll go back to the gallery tomorrow with all the signage and detail bits.

Enthusiastic RSVPs keep coming in - just goes to show the cynical me that art matters to people. Looks like there's going to be a crowd!

Wow.

In the Cards

I expect (and hope) there will be people at my show who will be inspired by my art and LifeCraft philosophy, and want to carry away some token of that inspiration, but for whom a three-digit impulse purchase is simply not in the cards. With that in mind, I've just finished designing three 5x7" postcards which I plan to offer at the show for $3 apiece. If all goes according to plan, they should arrive from the printer with several days to spare.

I'll also sell them here. Bear with me for the paypal link, or email me directly if you want some.

(ps. These images will look better if you click on them to see them in a separate window, full-size.)

Ups and Downs

It's not really a rollercoaster – I'm feeling pretty even about all this prep for my show – but it is quite a ride. Lots to keep track of. Lots yet to do... Here are a few landmarks:

UP: Local folk heroes The Electric Trains have offered to play a fully-unplugged acoustic set at my art show opening. The gallery director approves - it's a go!

DOWN: The gallery (WindhamARTS) has the wrong date (April 2 - should be April 3) on their web site for my show, and a funky off-center cropping of my postcard - and probably won't fix it until next week. Oh well.

UP: I just designed, built, and launched another web site - MaryCoburn.com. Another satisfied client – feels good.

DOWN: The remodeling that was supposed to be done two months ago in the gallery didn't happen, so the venue isn't as awesome-looking as I had hoped.

UP: Lots of people are telling me they are not only planning, but are EXCITED to come to the show. This may shape up to be something of a party!

DOWN: I'm thinking about trying to arrange for an after-party at the pub down the block (The Main Street Cafe), since the opening festivities are only two hours, and then it's only seven pm. At least I should reserve a big ol' table, don't you think? More to add to my perpetually blossoming to-do list!

UP: Apparently I've found the key to getting help: ask for it! My mom is going to help label and stamp postcards, and make food. (Come to think of it, she offered before I asked) And an art-smart friend is coming to the gallery with me to help sort out the artwork and how I'd like it to hang.

DOWN: Oh, oi vey, taxes. It's not just the paying of them that hurts, it's the doing. Lots of paperwork, lots of convoluted instructions.

UP: I did a great job tracking expenses, so that's a plus. And next year it will be easier. I've got a strategy now.

DOWN: Speaking of money, I've got to do some hard thinking and number-crunching about prices for my work. And then I have to replace all the outdated price info on this blog. Once framing and the gallery's cut are taken into consideration, prices must, unfortunately, rise.

UP: My neighbor, a local reporter, called the other day to ask for info about the show. She plans to pitch it to her paper to see if she can do a story on me.

DOWN: the show will only hang for twenty days. Twenty days goes by quick.

UP: Whatever doesn't sell will be framed and ready for the next show.

E-Card

The printed version of my show announcement arrived today and it looks better than I hoped. Nice when that happens. In the meantime, I've made an email version and begun putting out the word with it (click it to see full size):

Art Show To Do List (+ hints)

18" x 12" mixed media on heavy cardboard
SOLD


ALREADY DONE:

• write proposal and get the show
• make lots of art
• choose what goes in the show
• document art work (scan & photograph)
  
• design invitation postcard, send to printer
  
• discuss mailing list with gallery
• frame shadow box assemblage pieces
  
• make decisions about matting and framing everything else, choose a framer
  

MAILING LIST:

• compile Mailing list (friends, family, colleagues, clients)
  
• enter names and addresses into excel spreadsheet (instructions here)
• transfer to Word to print onto sticky labels (same instructions apply)
• make appointment with gallery - have them print out mailing list labels ahead of time
  
• when postcards arrive from printer, apply my mailing list labels
• go to gallery to add their mailing list labels and bulk mailing stamp to cards

MORE ON PUBLICITY:

• design email version of postcard invitation
• design poster version of postcard invitation
• send out postcards, e-cards, put up posters
• post announcement & e-card on Facebook
  
• ask gallery what they're doing re: press release (so as not to duplicate efforts)
  
• possibly write press release and send to local papers along with art image
• pick art image for press release - print hi-res on glossy stock (if mailing hard copy)
  
• send press release to local college radio, and to one dj friend in particular

ART:

• look for response to follow-up email from framer re: price and wire hangers (I spoke to him yesterday - all of the 2d work - 43 pieces - have arrived safely. All matting & framing decisions are done)
• set prices (taking into consideration: materials, framing & shipping, gallery fees, postcard and postage expenses, size, and time to create each work )
• make labels for each piece and decide how to hang them
  
• finish last two pieces
• finish framing last shadow box (add glass)
  
• follow up with company sending clear sleeves for unframed daily collages - make sure order has shipped and will arrive on time
• follow up with framer to make sure they ship on time (I am using P.S. Art Company for the first time - very good prices, good reputation - hopefully good results!)
  
• hang everything on the appointed day (find a friend to help and then to take out for a celebratory meal?)
  

ETCETERA:

• plan for reception: food, drink, what to wear! (note to self: comfortable shoes)
  
• make personal phone invitations, and plans for dinner after reception
• check over contract with gallery to make sure I'm not forgetting anything
• make/get guest book for show, ask for: name, address, email, comments
• print list of art pieces: titles, size, media, price
• print artist's statement and bio
• compile statement, bio, art list into single document to leave with gallery front desk
• take it all down twenty days later
• rinse and repeat - at another venue!
  

You Are Invited

The back of the postcard is done. (See the front in the previous post.)



details...

The Gaping Void: Preparing for an Art Show

Today I'm taking stock of my work for a solo show I have coming up in April - counting, listing, touching up, scanning, and packaging my paintings and collages to ship off to the framer. It feels amazing, and a little frightening, to send all of these coddled babies out into the world.

But there's no better motivation to make more art, in my opinion, than to create space for it. Nothing is more energizing to the creative spirit than a great big gaping void!

And there's no better motivation to get more shows, it seems to me, than to have a body of work ready to hang at a moment's notice.

Not only that, but once you've written one show proposal, writing another will feel a lot easier.

For a lowdown on what a proposal entails (or might entail, depending on the venue), listen to Alyson Stanfield's podcast on the subject - it's less than five minutes long and brimming with information - quick and dirty.

To break it down even further, step-by-step, I highly recommend Cay Lang's inspirational and informational book Taking the Leap: Building a Career as a Visual Artist. Probably the most worthy investment I've made in this area.

The paintings on this post are all freshly scanned 17" x 14", gouache and ink on heavyweight bristol paper. Click on the images to see them bigger. If you're interested in purchasing information for any of these, email me directly. I'd love to hear from you.

Tune in for more reflections on show-prep – I'll bebringing you along for the ride.